The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Discards
Because Discards was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Ekta Kumari
The plot brings forth the themes of crime, shame, and redemption when Salty accidentally kills his wife and runs away to find peace until he has to face his past and the abandoned daughter. I found the blurb quite unique with a dramatically tragic storyline. And I would have sampled the book based on its blurb alone even if it wasn't a part of the program. The sample starts right off with Salty's apathetic attitude towards his wife and her demands. It becomes apparent that he isn't particularly fond of her. This sets a good background for the story to develop, and the thing I liked the most is that the author takes the time to develop these small details. There's not much to dislike about the book. Though, there are some gory scenes and descriptions which I didn't feel comfortable with, so I wouldn't be reading the whole book. I saw an official OBC review before reading the book and found it helpful in deciding to sample it. I wouldn't suggest anything specific for improvements but was able to find a single error in this sentence, "So Salty phoned his younger brother, Frank, who lived with his wife and two children in Mt. Forest, ten miles from the construction site." There should be a comma after 'So'. But regardless of this error, I would rate the book as professionally edited. There weren't any other errors, and the format is clean.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 6:17 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
Discards by Allan Davis is a family drama of love, forgiveness and hope. I'm a part of this program, so I sample this book based on the genre and reviews. I always consider looking at the genre and reviews before deciding to read the rest of the book. The sample deals with Salty and his wife, who keeps on complaining for a better home. I don't see any errors and the book has an OBC review. I will not read this book because the plot seems too hard for me.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 5:00 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The cover is arresting but does not say much about the story. The title is similarly generic. The blurb is pretty interesting, though, and thrillers are my favorite reads. Thus, I would have sampled the book outside of the program. The first three chapters introduced Salty, his wife, Lee Ann, and his brother, Frank. I reached page 27 before I stopped reading. By then, Salty had dumped Lee Ann's body, after he killed her by accident. Those chapters were definitely exciting; the author is a genius in character development. The author used extra commas and semicolons stylistically, so I couldn't label them as errors. I would say I noted no objective errors. I have no suggestions for the author. I was mesmerized by Salty's story. The official OBC review further bolstered my decision to read the rest of the book. Am I glad that it is free!
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:58 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Hhannahh
This book's Amazon review alone would have spurred me to sample it. However, were it not for this program, I probably wouldn't have gone to the Amazon page in the first place; I wasn't intrigued by the book's cover or title, and I didn't find the book's OBC review so intriguing.
Salty's life can be described as regular and sad at once. He's a regular truck driver, and his family life tilts more towards sad (and naggy). The most dramatic thing that happened in the bit I've read was Salty's botched attempt at beheading a chicken.
I liked the diction and flow of this book. I'd like to complete this book not because of its first ten pages but because of the later drama that the book's reviews promise.
I didn't notice errors while reading this book and judging from the bit I've read, I don't think this book needs any improvement.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:55 am by Hhannahh.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Eunice Geres
I wouldn't have read the sample of this book based on its cover, title, and genre. However, after reading the OBC review, I became a little interested. The OBC review highlighted great points about the book that made me a little fascinated by the plot. Unfortunately, after reading the sample, I find the pace to be a little too slow. I would've liked it more if Salty's past was just a short backstory. I wanted the book to just focus on Sylvia. However, I think it's important to get to know Salty's past and his reasons for what he did. I think that this book would offer a great build-up as the story goes on. Sadly, I'm not interested to buy and finish the novel. The pacing is what killed my fascination. I truly want a fast-paced novel. The writing was also okay. I didn't find anything to dislike, aside from the pacing. There's nothing I can recommend, as I think that the book is already great if given to an interested reader. I also didn't notice any grammatical mistakes.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:55 am by Eunice Geres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Dzejn_Crvena
Based on the catchy title and cover, I'd have sampled this book because I thought it was a horror story. I like thrillers, so I'd have picked this book based on the genre. The blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews influenced my decision to read it because it has humorous content. I didn't change my mind when I read the OBC review and the sample. They convinced me to read this book because I'm interested in father-and-daughter relationships. The sample was about the protagonist and his wife as they talked about his bankruptcy and the downfall of his construction business. Later, he managed to kill his wife and leave their young daughter behind. Sylvia, their daughter, wanted closure from her father in the years to come. I'm looking forward to reading the part where the father and daughter have a heart-to-heart conversation about their past. I like the straightforward and engaging writing style that helped me read the book faster than expected. The book seems professionally edited, and I don't have suggestions for improvements.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:46 am by Dzejn_Crvena.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Alice Heritage
I like the sepia-toned cover art on this one. The title is striking as one-word titles often are, though that wouldn't necessarily have induced me to sample this. Overall, I probably wouldn't have sampled this without the programme because of the genre as I rarely read contemporary thrillers, although I did find the Amazon description somewhat intriguing. There were no editorial or customer reviews, but I will change that because I liked the sample enough to continue reading and have bought this via Kindle Unlimited. I liked how the sample was excellently edited - "blueprint dress" should read "blue print dress", but that was the only error I noticed. I loved all the details and felt a strong emotional connection with Salty when he wanted to keep the one-eyed chicken. I could see how the incident was building up to the murder of his wife and I want to read on to find out what happens. I found the Amazon description more helpful than the official OBC review in that the former told me that Sylvia comes looking for Salty when he's homeless, plot points that make me more inclined to read this. However, the OBC review was somewhat helpful in confirming the story's psychological impact and the quality of the writing. Nothing really needs to be improved about these engaging first ten pages.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:46 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Carson25
I was fortunate to read the novel's sample after downloading it from Amazon. The aspect of the book that most intrigued me and made me want to read the sample was the title. At the start of the book, we are introduced to Salty and his wife, Lee Ann. Even though Lee Ann is forty-three, her husband is still happy with the way she looks. Their firm recently filed for bankruptcy, and every time Lee looks at the truck they had purchased, she is reminded of the enormous sum of money her husband's construction company lost. This book appears to have been edited in an excellent manner. This is due to the fact that the sample I read contained no grammatical or spelling errors. The writing style was the aspect of the first ten pages that I read that I appreciated the most. I thought the writing style was excellent. The first ten pages I read had nothing in them that I didn't adore. I don't read novels that are classified as fiction, so I won't buy or read the book all the way through. I will only recommend it to my friends and those readers who enjoy reading fiction books. This book seems to have been written well, so in my opinion, there is nothing that needs to be improved. A well-written official review of the book provides details on its subject matter. The genre of the book, not its cover, review, or editorial review, was what ultimately convinced me not to buy and finish reading it.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:45 am by Carson25.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
This novel has no OBC blurb. This, plus the inability to connect with the book's mysterious cover page and title, means that I wouldn't have read this book without sampling it. The initial pages is filled with dialogues but Eli does a lot of speaking. There's wasn't anything thrilling for me in the pages I sampled. Consequently, I didn't find anything to like. The book's editing seems professional with no errors. I found nothing worth improving too. The book's OBC review changed my mind about this book as it suggests that it falls under the crime thrillers genre. As an enthusiast of the genre, I will complete reading it.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:35 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
BruceP
I downloaded and read the free sample of Allan Davis's book Discards. The book's opening pages introduce Salty, the owner of a renovation company. The author describes how the same company filed for bankruptcy after he purchased a truck in the same pages. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading fiction. They will appreciate it, I think. I like the book's cover the most out of all its elements. Its appearance pleased me. In the first ten pages I read, there was not a single aspect that I did not enjoy. Since I didn't identify any errors in the first few pages I sampled, the book seemed to have received careful editing. I cherish and relish reading fiction. I'll therefore buy the book and finish reading it. My choice to buy and finish reading the book was influenced significantly by the official review that was posted on the OnlineBookClub. This is due to the fact that it provided a detailed synopsis of the book's main themes. My choice to buy and finish reading the book was unaffected by the title or the cover. After carefully reading and examining the first ten pages of this book, I can declare with certainty that it was well-written and doesn't require any additional work.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:34 am by BruceP.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Soraya Bayah
Due to the explicit and rather strong nature of the book, I prefer to skip it. I dislike reading about addiction and anything that has harsh comments and language. Still, I cannot say I was not hooked when reading about Rhoda and the misery she experienced. I can see that the book will be full of such thrilling events that are most unlikely to occur. But I do disagree with the shooting to put out of misery concept of the western world. I believe all cases can be worked on and if an animal did not survive, it has nothing to do with us, rather that its life has ended. We cannot be the ones who decide when to kill something. I would have picked up this book from the cover, title, description, genre, and reviews like OBC, as they described an unconventionally themed book that seems thrilling. I truly look forward to continuing the book. I wonder how the incident with Rhoda impacts Sylvia later in life. I did not find any errors whilst reading. Nothing could be bettered, except I would prefer if the book did not contain harsh language. All in all, well written! Hopefully, the rest is just as gripping as the introduction.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:23 am by Soraya Bayah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The title "Discards" and the cover that shows a person walking on a pathway indicate that the book could be about people who are ignored by the society. There is only one Amazon customer rating for the book, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary states that the book is about a homeless person who is on a run for thirteen years. As I got interested in the story, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing Salty's life with his wife in a trailer. As I didn't find the narration interesting, I am not going to read this book in full. I didn't find the sample professionally edited. There were mechanical errors in the sample. For example, quotes are missing between the words "She's stupid" and "hate her" in Page 1. Also, a comma is missing after the words "At forty-three" in Page 1. What I liked most about the book is the overall story as described in the Amazon summary. As an improvement, I would suggest thorough proofreading of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 4:10 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
Even without this program, I would have sampled this. The ratings on Amazon, the official review from OnlineBookClub, and the blurb look fine. The genre is also my cup of tea.
I like the smooth narration. The pace is a bit slow, but Salty's life and his manslaughter are depicted well. The editing is fine, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Since the sample is interesting enough, I will buy this book to see what would happen to Salty. The OBC review was helpful in making my decision.
Error example: There's no children for Sylvia to play with. -> It should be "There're no children"
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 3:53 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The premise, the official OBC review, and other published reviews made me want to read this book. I failed to find any errors in the first ten pages. Salty was accustomed to his wife's complaints about their living condition. They used to live in a trailer, while Salty tried to manage his failed construction business. I liked the superb way the author divulged so many of the backstories. The excerpt gave us a clear impression of Salty and his wife. I had no reason to suggest any improvements. Based on my reading experience, I would love to read the whole book.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 3:31 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would have read the book based on the blurb. The cover is also intense and the font is really great. There were no Amazon reviews but that did not affect my decision. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. The writing is really engaging; I really loved how we got a lot of details about how people looked and how it went beyond physical appearance. Someone drawing on fake eyebrows or wearing push-up bras and heels were actually then linked to their presence and what "signal" they were showing others. Overall, I thought it was just really great "showing not telling" of characters. It was professionally edited. There was nothing I disliked. The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision and I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy "thoughtful fiction," as the review says.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 2:42 am by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
Following my perusing the title’s official OBC review and Amazon page, I opted not to purchase the book. I am not fascinated by the fatal mistake that Salty committed. I am not intrigued by how Salty will be able to survive and sustain himself while he is hiding from the authorities. I am not interested in reading if Slyvia will be able to empathize with her father and forgive him. Sampling the book did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the sample convinced me I would enjoy poring over the rest of the book. The first ten pages contain the first ten pages of Chapter 1: Salty. What I liked most is when Salty asked his younger brother to help him get by. I did not note any errors in the Amazon sample; the book seems professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 2:36 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Garcia 555
I like the genre, title, cover, description, and an official OnlineBookClub review spoke highly of this book, so I would definitely pick this book to read. I read the sample pages and I was a bit disappointed. I like how the family goes to live in a farm house and get to pet lamb daily. I did not like how most of the beginning was Salty complaining about his wife. I did not see any editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. The sample pages did not keep my interest, so I will not buy or finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on August 30, 2022, at 12:50 am by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would have sampled this book based on the genre, OBC review, title, and cover. There wasn’t a blurb on the bookshelf page, and there weren’t any customer or editorial reviews. It seemed like an interesting book about a man running from his past. After reading the first ten pages, I will be finishing this book. I liked the start with the move from the trailer park to the new house. This didn’t appease Lee Ann, and the tension is building. I want to read more about where things go wrong and how they might come back together. There wasn’t anything specific that needed improvement, and the book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 9:33 pm by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title are absolutely in tune with the story, so I think many interested readers should be attracted to this title-cover combination. In general, I like thoughtful kinds of fiction. The blurb highlights that Salty accidentally killed his wife. Next, after fourteen years, his daughter Sylvia decided to track down her missing father. There are no customer reviews for this book. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates the plot revolves around the re-establishment of the relationship between father and daughter many years after the tragic event. Based on these aspects, I could try this book. The first ten pages were slow and a bit monotonous, like Salty's life. The conversation with Eli as they drink whiskey and watch the sheepdog and the stray sheep was long and emotionless. The repetitive arguments with his wife, Lee Ann, confirm Salty's boring personality. The only exciting part of these first pages was the incident where Sylvia got caught in the barbed wire as she ran from the chicken. I suppose she manages to get out of it unscathed, but I wonder if she will have a scar on her face due to the cut. In short, what I read was very slow and did not animate me, so I decided not to read the rest of the book. The editing looks remarkable since I didn't see any details to comment on. Overall, I didn't see anything that I believed could be improved.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 9:04 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because the story didn't captivate me. I don't like at all how Salty thinks of women, it makes me glad his construction business went bankrupt; however, that's not something to be improved, if anything, it gives the book character. This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official OnlineBookClub review. I didn't see anything that needed improvement or that I particularly enjoyed.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 8:46 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The cover art looks dark and depressing. It shows a girl alone in a dark alley. The alley is full of dumpsters. The title implies discarded people or things. The onlinebookclub.org review that I read was positive and recommended the book. After reading the review, I became more interested in the book. It was a detailed and informative review, so I didn’t need to read any additional customer reviews or blurbs. The first ten pages describe a man named Salty who works in construction. He lives with his wife, Lee Ann, and their daughter, Sylvia. Lee Ann complains about their lives and living in a trailer park. When he gets a new job, he decides to rent a farmhouse next to a Mennonite farmer named Eli. Eli has children for Sylvia to play with. Salty and Lee Ann both seem to drink a lot. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. I wasn’t drawn into the story enough in the first ten pages to want to finish reading the book. It also seemed like a sad story. For those reasons, I will not finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 8:36 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbali Qalinge
Discards by Allan Davis tells a story of a man who made a terrible mistake that changed his life and his daughter's. The blurb highlighted the book as warm, heartbreaking, and funny, with themes of abandonment and redemption. The cover also piqued my curiosity, so I would have still sampled the book even if I were not part of the First Ten program. From the little I read, the book was slow-paced, so I didn't find anything to like yet. I am, however, curious about how Salty's character will develop. I found no errors in the first ten pages and nothing to dislike, so I have no suggestions for the author. The book's OBC review described the book's plot, which made me interested in reading the book for myself. I will be reading the rest of the book to sate my curiosity about how Salty accidentally kills his wife and the impact that will have on him and his daughter.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 7:38 pm by Mbali Qalinge.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kelsey Roy
My initial reaction to the title and cover was that the book is a true-crime novel, and I love true crime, so I was instantly intrigued. The blurb revealed that the book did involve murder, but the themes followed more complex emotions and relationships. The OBC review also indicated that the story is more about Salty’s relationship with his daughter, whom he abandoned after killing her mother. The blurb and OBC review also encouraged me to read the book, as I like the topics, and the reviewer mentioned excellent writing and editing.
I did not find any errors in the first ten pages. I enjoy how the author writes. The plot flows well, and there isn’t excess information or imagery on the page. The style of writing is the best part of the sample I read. The only portion of the first ten pages I’m not crazy about is sadness. The story about killing the chicken made me emotional, and this book has some great emotional pull in the plot. I have no recommendations for the author, “Discards” seems like an excellent read. I will not be finishing the book because if it makes me this sad in ten pages, I’ll be a wreck by the end.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 7:34 pm by Kelsey Roy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IconReviews
I do not read murder stories so the title, genre, blurb, cover, or the official OnlineBookClub review doesn't pique my interest. After reading the sample that was professionally edited, I liked the feeling that the book gave. I felt like I was in Salty's shoes as he tried to kill the chicken. I still can't believe he was able to kill his wife. The book doesn't need to be improved and I didn't see any customer reviews of this book. I won't be reading it because I don't like reading about murder.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 6:01 pm by IconReviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
If Discards hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have skipped the sample of it because of the description on Amazon.com. The cover implies there are many secrets in this book, but I was not sure if this was true or not. There is one customer review at this time, but I did not need to read it to make a decision. In the sample, I liked learning about Salty's daughter Sylvia; she seems to be a quiet yet curious girl. What I did not like were the gory descriptions of the chicken being killed. Because of this, I have decided to skip the book. While reading the first ten pages, I did not notice any grammatical errors. There are also no improvements that I can think of that need to be done to this book. An official OnlineBookClub review exists for this title, but I did not need to read it to make a decision.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 5:40 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shadreck Rogers
I like the cover and the title of the book; therefore, I would have selected the book on those. There are no customer reviews on amazon. I would have selected the book based on an editorial review. However, I will not buy and read the entire book because I don’t prefer reading drama novels that are based on abandonment and redemption. Moreover, I didn’t like the way Salty as a character was introduced in the first ten pages. There are no errors in the first ten pages of the book. I wasn’t influenced by the available OBC review in my decision.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 4:20 pm by Shadreck Rogers.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I thought the cover and title of this book were average. The Amazon blurb described the story as "heartbreaking", so I probably would not have sampled this without the First Ten program. The first few pages were well edited. The story about the sheepdog stopping at nothing to find a lost sheep was interesting. The official OBC review was positive. The customer review and comments were also positive. Overall, this seems like a nice story but it does contain subject matter that I am not comfortable reading about. For this reason, I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 3:44 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Adrian Rondon Salazar
I don't want to know more about Salty because the reading seemed insipid; besides, a better description of Salty's thinking is missing. I thought suspense would have greater importance. Now, late, I realize that it is a story that encompasses the life of the father and daughter.
I did not find errors, something favorable. I would have liked the story to start with a complete description of how Salty and his wife met, the positive of their relationship to contrast with how horrible it is in the present. The conversation between Salty and Eli was interesting; I liked it. The official OBC review describes a good book, but I couldn't agree.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 3:42 pm by Adrian Rondon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. The book sounded a bit too dramatic for me. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. Although a bit rambling, I enjoyed the anecdote about the dog saving the kids in the tent while camping. It gives a good idea of where the characters mindsets are. That being said, there was a bit too much talking and not enough action to keep me interested. The book looked well written and edited; there weren't any errors in the sample that I could see. The thing I would have improved from the sample I read has to do with the presentation. I found that there was a quite a bit of dialogue and not very much visual description in the writing, but that is just a personal preference. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 3:01 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Patty Allread
If I had not been part of the OBC program, I would still have been interested in sampling this book. Per the Amazon blurb, the book would be in the crime/mystery genre, which I enjoy. I was curious about the title, and the cover art seemed to fit with that title. There were no editorial or customer reviews, which I would have liked to see.
When I read a sample of the book, I liked the author's easy-going storytelling style. It was paced just fast enough to keep my interest without being too slow. Since I know what the storyline is about, I appreciated seeing what Salty's life was like in contrast to when he was on the run. I also found no errors in the pages I read. I didn't find anything to dislike or to recommend for change. I will eventually read this book.
I did not see the official OBC review and would have appreciated reading the review and comments.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 2:00 pm by Patty Allread.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kira Bonita Reece
The cover and title of this book have piqued my interest. I would read it based on the cover, blurb, title, genre, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I liked the style of writing the author used. It read like something you would read in a school setting. Salty seems like an interesting character. The sample was professionally edited and needs no improvements. I won't be reading this book because it contains murder and I couldn't find any customer reviews on the book.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 10:40 am by Kira Bonita Reece.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Silvio Omutsiambo
I sampled this book because I love books of this genre. The OBC review provided some insight about Salty's killing of his wife, though in the bit I read I saw him as harmless. This boosted my interest in the decision to read this book. Therefore, I will buy and read it. I liked how the story in the first ten pages flowed. The vocabulary was simple to absorb, and I did not encounter any errors or negative aspects to comment on.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 9:46 am by Silvio Omutsiambo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Odala J Phiri
Lee Ann seems to give a tough time to Salty in the book, Discards by Allan Davis. I would have sampled this book based on the cover and title because they are good and connecting. I would have read it based on the genre and blurb because the genre is preferable to me and the blurb attracted my attention. There were no customer reviews for this book only a rating from the customer. I would have sampled it based on the editorial review because it pointed out very interesting issues. I liked Salty's openness to the new site they relocated to. He seemed to like the place very much despite being off town site. I did not like the explanation of the actions that took place when Salty met Lee Ann in the bar. It has gone far in explaining deep things like mentioning Salty's dick. I suggest the author avoid these at the beginning of the book. This may improve the book because the first pages are attention grabbers. The review from OBC assisted me in deciding on the book. It highlighted interesting and shocking aspects of the book. After reading the first ten pages I would read it but I have a lot on the table so I will not pick this up now.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 9:27 am by Odala J Phiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laney K
This is not a book I would normally consider reading as I am not a huge fan of the genre; I also wasn't interested by the reviews that I read. I feel like the descriptions of the characters brought them to life and that was my favorite part of the opening; the struggle of living in the trailer park was evident and created conflict for the characters. The part I liked the least was the scene describing the characters killing a chicken. I don't have the heart to read such scenes. I did not notice any grammatical errors. I will not be finishing this book because I didn't feel connected to the characters.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 8:39 am by Laney K.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabriella H
Nothing stood out to me about the cover, but the title made me curious. Not curious enough to sample it without being a part of this program, though. I found the blurb uninteresting. Although the OBC official review was well written, I didn't see any reason to read the book. Other than my curiosity about why Salty killed his wife and abandoned his daughter. I thought it was nice that he found someone to talk to in Eli, but I wasn't fascinated or hooked by their discussions. At most, I learned what to do to kill a chicken. While reading the first ten pages, I kept waiting for the part when he killed his wife to get my answer, but I was bored. So I won't be completing this book. I believe the first ten pages were professionally edited because I didn't see any errors in them. I have no suggestions for improvements. My decision not to complete this book is based on the first ten pages and was influenced by the OBC official review, not the editorial review, blurb, or customer reviews.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 7:40 am by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
There is an excellent and helpful Official OnlineBookClub review of this book. I don't read many crime thrillers and the synopsis of this book doesn't interest me. After reading the sample, I haven't changed my mind. Salty has had an interesting life with some horrific choices he's made. I'm not curious to read about his journey. I am more curious about Sylvia and how it all affected her: her mother's murder, and abandonment. I didn't like the scene when Salty killed that chicken. It struck me as overly descriptive and foreshadowing of the rest of the book. I wouldn't change anything about the book. It is not for me, but other readers might enjoy it. There are no Amazon reviews of this book. I didn't notice any errors.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 7:37 am by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rita Nuncia
Discards by Allan Davis is a crime thriller novel. The first ten pages of the book begin with Salty’s life, how he met his wife and how they had moved from living in a trailer park to a farmhouse. There, he met Eli, who is also his neighbor. I would have read this book without being a part of the first ten programs because of the genre, title, and author. I have read a book by the same author, and it was a well-written and fascinating book. The cover piqued my interest, and I would like to know how it connects to the title of this book. I found no blurb or customer review of the book. However, the OnlineBookClub reviews that I read did pique my interest. I enjoyed the first ten pages, as it was enthralling. Therefore, I want to buy and read this book. The first ten pages seem professionally edited because I did not see any errors in them. I like how the author adds short quotes in the book. I have no suggestions for improvements. The OnlineBookClub official review provided more insight into the book, and it did affect my opinion of the book.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 5:29 am by Rita Nuncia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Andrada Madalina
"Discards" by Allan Davis is a crime novel that focuses on Salty Saltzmanous's life. I liked the art design of the book cover and found it suitable for its catchy title. I did not find any editorial or customer reviews for this book. However, I sampled it because of its informative blurb and excellent Official OnlineBookClub review that made me curious about character development. The book seems exceptionally well edited since I discovered no errors while reading its first ten pages. I would not improve anything on the plot and writing style because I liked that Allan Davis focused on the protagonist's psychology and his inner struggles. I liked Salty's dramatic monologues because I discovered his personality, but I disliked his cowardice. Nevertheless, I will not buy and read the whole book because I did not empathize with Salty and his decisions.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 5:04 am by Andrada Madalina.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Fu
I thought this book was an interesting one. The setting immediately caught my attention and I appreciated the way the author wrote about Eli and the dog. However, I will not be finishing this book. This is due to my dislike of Salty. I didn't appreciate how Salty perceives women in the sample and it distracted me from the actual plot of the novel. It is too far of a distraction and prevents me from enjoying anything else in the book. Therefore, I do not think I will be able to finish reading this story.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 4:52 am by Alice Fu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Debra Morgan
I was interested in this book after reading a review on Amazon, which I did because the title didn't give me much information. All of the reviews, including the review on OBC, were positive and hinted at unexpected turns in the story. The OBC review was the one that swayed me that this was a book worth reading. After reading the first chapter, I am thoroughly engrossed. I have found no errors and have found the writing to be above par. My favorite part of what I have read is the ability of the author to describe scenes so well I cringed as Salty tried to kill the chicken and then dealt with the aftermath. I have found absolutely nothing to dislike about the book and will recommend it to everyone I know who enjoys c/t/m/h novels.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 4:42 am by Debra Morgan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Asma Aisha Ansari
I liked the title and the cover of this book. The C/T/M/H genre of this book is one of my favourites. The OBC review was very positive. The blurb is interesting. I looked everywhere but didn't find any other online reviews for this book.
I read the first chapter and liked the writing style. I liked the character of Salty and Eli and their discussion about dogs very much. Unfortunately, I'm not going to read the rest of the book because the story didn't intrigue me enough. The book seems professionally edited, as I didn't encounter any major grammatical or other errors in the first chapter. This is the only sentence where the article 'the' before the word 'drinking' seems unnecessary to me: They dress up like hookers and get into the drinking and get taken home by some guy... . I suggest a thorough round of editing for such minor errors.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 4:32 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kirsi Cultrera
I loved the cover picture of this book, although it did not give me any ideas of what to expect from the book. The cover piqued my interest, but after reading the blurb, I thought this book might not be for me with its sad family drama. There was not much more information to explore on the book's Amazon page; I would probably not have chosen to read or sample the book based on these findings. However, the sample completely blew me away, and I had to change my mind about reading this book. I loved the pace of this story, and I loved how the author pictured his characters. Furthermore, the atmosphere he created was perfect. I had to laugh at Salty's attempt to kill the crippled hen. What followed with the poor creature chasing Salty's daughter with a head hanging upside down was described with such skill that it painted the whole scene right in front of my eyes, and I was fully captured by the moment. I found absolutely nothing wrong with the book itself, although I would like to change how it was presented on Amazon. The Official OnlineBookClub review was informative and well-written and presented the book well. Based on this review, I would have chosen to sample the book. The book seemed professionally edited, as I did not spot any errors in the parts I read. To conclude, I loved the sample, and I can't wait to dive deeper into this story.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 3:46 am by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Radhika Nair
I read the OBC review of another book by this author and got an excellent first impression. So naturally, I was excited about this book, and having read the first dozen pages I can say that my enthusiasm was justified. I like the way the author builds up the situation and establishes a background that I can already see escalating into the main events of the story. I disliked nothing in the few pages I read, nor did I find any errors. My positive impression of this author ensured my interest in the title, the cover, and the blurb, so I might have picked it up even if I weren't part of this program. I also enjoyed the OBC review of this book and it motivated me to read it. I look forward to doing just that.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 3:03 am by Radhika Nair.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Tonia Freeman
If it weren't for the first ten program, I would never have looked at this book. The cover is dark and it's easy to overlook. Nothing about the cover pulls me to look any closer at it. I didn't read the reviews beforehand, this allows my thoughts on the first ten pages to be my own without being swayed. After reading the first ten pages of Discards, I will not be proceeding with reading this book. Honestly, I was bored and still had no idea where the story could be headed after the reading sampling. Therefore, I did follow the Amazon link and read their synopsis; I again confirmed that it held no interest to me. The book did seem professionally edited, as I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages. I didn't find anything that I liked in this book other than it was edited well. I didn't like the charters or the storyline. The storyline lacked anything to draw me in and failed to connect with me in any way. I was also not a fan of two animals being killed in the first ten pages. I would suggest a cover change and maybe less animal cruelty in the first ten pages. I read no reviews that would have changed my opinion of this book.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 1:20 am by Tonia Freeman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for this program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, Official OnlineBookClub review, or other reviews because I wasn't sure how I felt about the plot or the characters – it just didn't call my attention. After sampling the book, I will not continue reading it because even though I didn't mind the chicken story, I don't want to read an entire book that might be full of similar stories. From what I read, my favorite part was when Salty kept copying Eli as they were talking. I felt like there was probably quite a bit of foreshadowing in that scene. The book seems well edited, and it doesn't need improvement.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 1:00 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vidhi Adhikari
Although the book had received insufficient customer and OBC reviews, I was keen to read the sample because of the eye-catchy cover picture and the mystery-invoking description about Salty's past catching up to him after dumping his wife's body in the dumpster. I loved the quote about penance and hidden remorse in the beginning of the book. There were some incorrect usage of punctuations in the text which can be corrected ('Salty thought {add comma} more or less {add comma} the same thing every time he looked at her, how much of his money she drank away in whatever bar was closest to whatever trailer park they were staying at.'). However, I will definitely finish this book. I have no suggestions as everything was up to the mark.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 12:31 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jen Nghishitende
This book has a very interesting book cover and title. These two aspects alone would have been enough to spark my curiosity to sample the book, even if I was not part of this program. I read the OBC review of the book, and I thought it was very interesting. The first ten pages provided a snapshot of the book. I like that they start by describing Salty and his family life, and I liked the author’s accessible writing too. I did not read a blurb, editorial or customer reviews. Still, the book cover, titles, genre, OBC review and first ten pages were enough to inform my decision to read the book further. I did not find any errors in the first ten pages, and I found nothing to dislike. I have no suggestions for change. I bought the book free from Kindle Unlimited and will read it to the end.
First Ten review added on August 29, 2022, at 12:09 am by Jen Nghishitende.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Damian Keyes
This book is a thriller and I'm a huge fan of this genre, so I would have definitely chosen this book even if I wasn't in this program. The OBC official review is what sold me on not only getting this book but reading it from start to finish. I read more than 10 pages of Discards because I was hooked by Salty and his relationship with Lee Ann. Even though they have a dysfunctional relationship, I love how devoted they are to the betterment of their daughter's life. I did not find any spelling errors or anything I disliked about this book. Based on what I've read, I can foreshadow what caused Salty to do what he did. I cannot wait to read further in this story and find out how everything pans out for this family.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 10:42 pm by Damian Keyes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu
The title and cover of this book did not reveal much about it. It has no blurb, no customer and editorial reviews, which added to the mystery. It is under the C/T/M/H genre, which is an ambiguous genre. Based on this, I would not have sampled or read this book if it was not part of the First Ten program. In the first chapter, we are introduced to the main character, Salty, and the dynamic of his relationship with his wife, daughter and neighbour. I was not impressed with the sample because it did not spark my interest in any way. No major event takes place except maybe the killing of a chicken. At this point, I thought the story was boring and had no interest in reading further. The OBC review described an intriguing narrative about tragedy and shame, but none of that is in the sample. I did not find any errors within the sample, and I did not find anything to like either. I will not be reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 9:20 pm by Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
The cover and title of this book gave me the impression this may be a psychological thriller story. I would have sampled the BOTD based on this impression. If I were Salty, I would have sent Lee Ann packing, or left her behind with no home. She was harsh and failed to be understanding everywhere they lived. Professionally edited, there isn't anything I would change about the story. The OBC review did sway my decision with the positive remarks about character development. I didn't read anything online to alter my decision. I would like to keep reading this book, as I found Salty's mentality intriguing.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 8:48 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mary WhiteFace
Without the First Ten program I would not have been interested in reading a book about a man who accidentally kills his wife and then hides among the homeless in the city. My initial decision was based on the synopsis. There were no Amazon customer reviews. The presence of an OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision.
Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. The book seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. The part that stood out the most was when Salty tried so hard to be humane when he needed to kill the chicken. Not only did he mess up and only chop halfway through the chicken's neck, but the chicken chased little Sylvia up the barbed wire fence ruining her new blue dress.
The premise of the story did not interest me. I will not be reading the whole book.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 7:56 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kenesha Latoya Fowler
Discards has a nice storyline. I think a story that explores the relationship between a father and a daughter (especially after said father accidentally kills said daughter's mother) is bound to spark some interest in the reader. The OBC review rates the book 4 out of 4 stars, saying that "the read was a smooth ride from start to finish." As such, I was looking forward to reading the book. Alas, by the end of the first ten pages, I knew that I wouldn't be finishing it. I didn't dislike anything about the book, but I didn't like anything in particular, either; nothing stood out for me. I imagine that will come later, given the storyline. I just don't see myself sticking around to find out. On a positive note, the book does appear to have been professionally edited, and the cover art is great.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 7:15 pm by Kenesha Latoya Fowler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chinazo Anozie
I was interested in this book from the title, cover, description, customer reviews, genre, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I wonder what will happen to Salty after the incident with his wife. I also liked the author’s writing style. I’ll buy and read this book. This book seems professionally edited because I didn’t notice any errors from the few pages I read. I don’t think anything needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 6:46 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Leasa Ana Maria
I wouldn't read the book cover to cover. The first ten pages contained no significant problems that I could identify. My judgment regarding the book was aided by the OBC review, which confirmed my initial impression after reading the first few pages, which was that the book's theme was not appealing to me despite how simple the writing appeared to be.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 6:45 pm by Leasa Ana Maria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shelby Ayres
I think the cover and the title add to the mystery of the book. I enjoy reading the genre. The blurb I found to be interesting. I thought it was concise yet, explained just enough for the book to be interesting. Unfortunately, there are no reviews that I could read. Within the first ten pages, I found no grammatical or spelling errors. The first sentence in the book caught me off guard. "From the shelters and the streets, we hear the muffles wails of hidden remorse in a penance we will never understand." I thought that it was incredibly attention-grabbing. Within the first ten pages, there was nothing I disliked. The Online Book Club review that I read spoke on the relationship between the father and the daughter, even though the father killed the mother. I don't think I could have any sort of relationship with my father after that. Based on the aforementioned, I will be skipping this book because I do not think I would enjoy reading this book.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 6:24 pm by Shelby Ayres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I really enjoyed the descriptions of Salty and the community of Mennonites they joined. The writing flows so well and the characters are memorable. I could see the little girls in their bonnets and Amos the dog sheep herding easily. I don’t usually like crime fiction outside of the program, so I wouldn’t have decided to read this book on my own, but I enjoyed the sample so far. I didn’t see any editing issues. The OBC review helped me keep an open mind because the reader thought the book was so good. I’m surprised there aren’t any customer reviews or editorial reviews, because so far, I agree with the OBC reader. I have no suggestions for improvements. I also didn’t see any blurbs. I will read more of the free copy I received.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 6:20 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
After accidentally killing his wife, Harold ‘Salty’ Saltzmanous spends 14 years on the run before his only child, Sylvia, decides to reconnect with him, hoping to find out why her father abandoned her when she was only five years old. As a big fan of crime thrillers, I would have read the book based on the genre, cover, title, and Amazon blurb. I found neither editorial reviews nor customer reviews, but my interest in this story increased after reading the OBC review. Therefore, I am not pleased to say I have changed my mind after reading the first ten pages. I enjoyed the author's descriptive writing style, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and, consequently, did not feel invested in the story. Plus, I found some errors that distracted me from my reading. For example, it should be written "scuffing" instead of "scruffing" in the following sentence: "He spent over two hours cleaning up the mess, scruffing away the drops of blood in the laneway so they wouldn’t get stepped in." (page 14) It should be written "in the snow" in the following sentence: "Her cheek was sewed up with twelve stitches that looked like tire treads in snow." (page 15) Other than another round of editing, there was nothing that needed to be improved.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 5:04 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ohna Martin
I would love to finish this book, even if I was not part of this program. I love the genre. I would like to see if Sylvia ever forgives Salty for killing her mother, even if it was an accident. The cover and the name fit excellently into the story. I like the writing style the author uses, it is easy to follow. I cannot say that there is anything in this book that I dislike. I have no suggestions for the author. There was no grammar or spelling errors in this book. No other review, OBC or otherwise, or blurb affected my decision. This was based on the first ten pages of this book.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 4:39 pm by Ohna Martin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MsH2k
I rarely read crime thrillers. The cover and title did not reveal much about the story, and there was no blurb in the purchased download copy. I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The absence of a blurb made reading the first ten pages less enjoyable: I did not know what I was walking in to as a plot, and I was suspicious of just about every character, waiting for some horrible crime to be revealed. After reading the first ten pages, I still had the same number of suspects. I was concerned about how much the main characters drank, and there seemed to be a mystery about Salty’s brother Frank. After I sampled the book, I went back to the Amazon purchase site and saw that there was a blurb there. Now that I know what it’s about, I still will not finish the book because I am not invested in the story. It appeared professionally edited; I did not notice any grammatical errors in the first ten pages. A suggestion for improvement would be to include a blurb in the Kindle downloaded version. The featured OnlineBookClub review was well written and informative, but it did not change my decision. I did not notice any Amazon ratings or any other reviews, but they would not have influenced me anyway.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 3:19 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Discards' is written by Allan Davis. The book revolves around Salty. In 2004, Salty accidentally killed his nagging wife, Lee Ann. Salty had a little daughter, Sylvia. I would like to see how the murder affects Salty and Sylvia. So, I will definitely read the book. The book is well-edited to boot. The OBC review is appreciative. There is nothing that I would change about the book. I would have read this book based on the cover, title, genre, and blurb as I like the genre. However, I could not find editorial reviews and customer reviews for the book.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 2:54 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Ungureanu
I like how the cover looks because of the color. I was horrified when I read the OBC review and the blurb and I saw that the book deals with a husband that murders his wife. However, I am interested in reading about the relationship between father and daughter. After sampling a few pages, I realized the book felt depressing because of the tension between Salty and his wife, Lee Ann. It was difficult to read because it was giving me a bad mood. Although I'm interested in the father-daughter relationship, it's hard to see how I will stay interested in this book until the moment that it becomes the central theme. I'm trying to stay away from books that have a negative impact on me, so I won't read this book. I don't have any suggestions for improvement. The editing is good, but I do have a small comment to make. While it isn't necessarily a mistake, I would suggest adding some quotation marks for Salty's thoughts in "She's stupid, but I don't hate her, he had thought." Other instances that expose his thoughts have quotation marks, so here they are missing.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 2:40 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover is too dark for me to get what's going on. I like the idea because the homeless have always intrigued me. This seems like just morbid curiosity, but it's not. The abilities they develop to survive and the camaraderie make them fascinating from a sociological standpoint. Despite the lack of ratings, I would have bought the book based on my first impressions.
I didn't like the first ten pages. I found Salty's comments a bit funny (i.e. "Styrofoam push-up-the-sags bras") but also a bit misogynist (i.e. "it’s not her fault, even though she had her hand in his weeds playing with his dick all the time they were sitting at the bar.") And the whole animal cruelty with Rhoda bothered me too much. I didn't find editing mistakes. I suggest improving the cover. The official OBC review, which is brilliant, would have convinced me to read the book, had I not disliked the sample so much.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 1:42 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aashu Chaudhary
Im really excited for the part when both, the daughter and the father, have to confront the truth. What will they do after the confrontation? Will the father ask for forgiveness, or try to justify himself? Or will he just run away like in past? Will the daughter be able to forgive him and ask for a reason? Or will she burst with anger?
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 12:44 pm by Aashu Chaudhary.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
The cover and title look like horror or psychological thriller, while the blurb hints at family drama. I did not find them appealing enough to sample the book outside the program. Customer reviews are unavailable. After sampling, I liked that the book touches on child abandonment and foster care. It explores these circumstances from different perspectives. However, the storyline did not build enough curiosity to finish the book. Also, I prefer a faster pace. I have no suggestions for improvement. For editing issues, here is an example.
Page 12. Grammar. "Quiet" does not seem to fit in this context. Consider changing to "quietly."
She was sitting [quiet] in his arms, her one good eye staring up at him not saying much of anything but looking hopeful that he would not chop her head off.
The official OnlineBookClub review is enthusiastic and insightful. But I will pass.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 11:48 am by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book cover is typical for a crime novel. As I usually do not read crime novels, I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review give a good description of the book but do not convince me to read the sample. The sample is well edited, but I found the beginning quite boring. Salty's background did not interest me, nor did his conversations with Eli. Once I read about Eli's description of how to kill a chicken, I completely lost interest. That is why I will not read the rest of the book. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 11:19 am by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amy Luman
I think that I will finish this book. It didn’t have any editorial or customer reviews, but the OBC review and the blurb gave me enough to go on. I was impressed by what they said in summary and what I read. Eli, though probably only a small character, had a good way of expressing himself to Sally and seemed to be able to tell stories with a deeper meaning, using his sheepdog, Amos, as an example. There were no noticeable errors in what I read, so I think this has been professionally edited. The cover shows a man, presumably Salty, on a dark, desolate street, and the title probably refers to Salty and the friends he made after his "mistake". My favorite part of the bit that I read was the innocent friendship between Sylvia and Eli’s daughter, Rachelle. There is nothing that I would change.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 10:41 am by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
KafeliKe
Discards, a book by Allan Davis, sounded interesting when I read the first ten pages of it. In the first few pages, we are introduced to a character by the name of Salty. The story begins when he started working the night shift as a bulldozer driver for AMC construction. A new highway was now being constructed. The narrative takes place in the year 2004. My most favorite aspect of the book in the first ten pages I read was how the author used simple language to write a compelling story. The first few pages I read were simple for me to read and comprehend. In the first ten pages, I didn't find a single aspect of this book that I didn't like. This book is a fictional work. Since I don't enjoy reading fiction, I won't buy and finish this book. But I will recommend it to people who enjoy reading fiction and suspenseful stories. On OnlineBookClub, the book has a well-written review that provides a thorough summary of the plot. Based on the genre, I chose not to buy and finish reading this book. My decision was unaffected by the book's cover, title, or official review in any way. Additionally, the book appears to be fine and doesn't require improvement.
First Ten review added on August 28, 2022, at 10:08 am by KafeliKe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 42%
Discards earned a score of 42%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 42% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Discards
